STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY FOR BLACK SEA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (MYKOLAIV, UKRAINE)

Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars stands with the world’s higher education institutions in support of an independent and democratic nation of Ukraine. We condemn the interruption of study for the Black Sea National University, the Zeta Omicron chapter of Phi Beta Delta. We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. We are deeply concerned for their safety and ability to exercise the ideals of free speech and inquiry. We remain committed to supporting the Zeta Omicron chapter, including its members, faculty, and the community who have been impacted by these events.

STATEMENT OF CONDOLENCES FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THE HALLOWEEN STAMPEDE IN SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars offers our deepest condolences to the families and communities affected by the lives lost during a Halloween stampede in Seoul, South Korea which happened on October 29, 2022. Among the victims of the disaster were several international students. We acknowledge their commitment to international education and exchange. As an organization that supports students going abroad, we feel great compassion for their home universities and the Republic of Korea during this difficult time.

Solidarity Statement against Anti-Asian hate

Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society stands in solidarity with Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities. We condemn anti-Asian hate. We denounce violence and prejudice. We grieve for the lives lost in the horrific Atlanta shooting on March 16, 2021, which targeted women of Asian ancestry. We grieve for the families and communities who have suffered from anti-Asian attacks and assaults as a result of xenophobia. We are committed to protecting our most vulnerable community members, which include the elderly, women, and children.

Our slogan is Scientia Mutua Mundi, which means “a shared knowledge of the world.” We are joined together in the acknowledgement that white supremacy is a problem all around the world manifesting in colonization, exploitation, and/or oppression. We must also join together in sharing responsibility in the fight for racial and social justice.

We encourage our members to dismantle the systems of white supremacy and racist misogyny that have allowed anti-Asian hate to exist and to escalate. We encourage our members to include and amplify Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander voices and narratives. We encourage our members to center the research and scholarship of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities in order to garner support, resources, and funding that will benefit these communities.

As a community of educators and scholars, we pledge to examine the histories and legacies of race and racism and to speak out against them. We need to work collectively and with intention to stop anti-Asian hate.